Extremely important and the only one of its kind. However, potential readers should know that a large part of it is technical descriptions of how he did his studies. Apart from that, the coveage goes from 888 b.c. to 1950, since he correctly assume that recent data may be biased. However, he speculates that human achievement may have declined after his cut-off date. Here I disagree. In visual arts perhaps yes, but in music no, and in technology the last decades have put everything before in the shadow, in my opinion.

An excellent explanation of why some countries don’t work, and what it would take to get them out of their swamps.

The best book I ever read about art, and I suspect the best that was ever written.

About the global trend towards liberal democracies, which he describes as our final destination. He was mocked because “history” began again with 9/11, but I think he is very right anyway. Things just take time.

If you want to read Al Gore, this is the one to choose (his An Inconvenient Truth is unbearably manipulative). Our Choice, on the other hand, is more down to Earth and has lots of information about what we may do to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and which parts to prioritize. He will hopefully update it from time to time, because the field is fortunately in a flux.

A very good book about all types of energy explained by a Nobel Prize winner and two distinguished colleagues who actually sticks to the facts.

A good, brief overview of some of the largest problems facing mankind, and it’s not as alarmist as the title may suggest.

This is an absolute must-read. Thorough, detailed analyses of myths and facts in the debate about environments and resources.

In discussing climate change, we do need to understand why so enormous changes have happened before humans could have anything to do with it. This book may have an answer.

Short in summaries of what it all means, but does include tons of facts. It’s honestly not very interesting to read books about demographics (in my view), but if I should pick one, it would be this.

One of the first and leading environmentalist pioneers explains what we can do to make our life more sustainable, and it includes moving to cities as well as embracing nuclear energy and Genetically modified crops.